


Palentine’s Day

by MrsLKG2



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29915994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsLKG2/pseuds/MrsLKG2
Summary: Mysterious gifts appear throughout Skyhold. Who is celebrating Valentines Day in secret?
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford





	Palentine’s Day

The air in Skyhold was thick with happiness and love. It seemed like everyone was pairing off. Even old Cabot had found someone to spend some time with, at least for a while. 

Inquisitor Da’Nyal walked through the courtyard, enjoying the brisk mountain air and listening to the sounds of the Keep. After several weeks in the Storm Coast, the dry and chilly morning was a welcome respite. In her wandering, she began to zero in on the same conversation being had by nearly everyone she passed. 

“Yes, a white flower,” 

“Oh, like the ones that grow out on the slopes,” 

“Yes, I got one too!” 

“Richard swears it wasn’t him”. 

Curiosity got the better of the Inquisitor, so she went to find Bull to see if he had any insight on what was going on. 

Walking into Herald’s Rest, the elf received an answer to part of her question before she even got to speak to her mercenary friend. Scattered about the room were the white lilies that were found growing on the mountain around Skyhold. Some lay on the tables, more than one lady had managed to fasten one in their hair. Iron Bull himself had one propped in an empty ale tankard. 

Smiling at him as she walked closer, Nya roused him from a daydream. “So, what’s going on with the snow lilies?”

He looked down at the flower by his side, then turned his eye back to her. “Search me Boss. They’ve been popping up all morning. Almost like they’re appearing out of thin air.” He raised an eyebrow and then cast a glance toward the upper floors. With a nod of understanding, she also looked upward, but didn’t go up the stairs. Instead she headed back outside, and toward her room. As she climbed the stairs to the loft, the sweet smell of pollen became stronger. Once she rounded the tip of the stairs, she saw it. A solitary lily laid across her desk, freshly clipped and vibrantly fragrant. 

She crossed the room and picked it up, admiring its milky white petals and bright sun yellow center. A sudden voice startled her, despite the fact that she fully expected him to show up. 

“Happy Palentines Day?” Cole’s unsure voice rang through her loft, and after her initial shock, she turned to look at him. 

“Palentines?” 

“Yes. Everyone is loud about it. Fear, flirtation, candy, caresses. I don’t understand it, but most of the feelings are bright.”

He was sitting cross-legged on her bed, almost floating above it, a looking her right in the face expectantly. She grinned; he rarely looked her in the eye, so he must have been excited for her reaction. She went to the bed and sat down on the edge, facing him. “I think you mean Valentines Day. It’s a holiday that people celebrate with the people they love.” 

He cocked his head sideways and frowned. “So I should not give everyone flowers?” 

“No! That’s not what I meant. But... while we’re on the subject, why did you give everyone flowers?” She leaned back on her hands and looked sideways at him. 

The spirit closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. He seemed like he was listening, so the Inquisitor stayed extra quiet. 

“Some of them expect nice things today. Some of them don’t ever expect nice things. Some of them are truly grateful that anyone would think of them.”

Cole opened his eyes. “The lilies...they helped everyone today. Helped them feel how they needed to feel. Except for The Champion... white flowers make her sad. I did not give her one.” 

Nya had read the Tale of the Champion and realized why Cole was able to sense that feeling from Hawke. The fact that he recognized not receiving flowers would be what she needed most was truly endearing. In that moment, the Inquisitor realized that the young man had gone out of his way to show his kind of love to everyone, but no one had done the same for him. She bolted up and ran to her bureau and began searching frantically through her knick-knacks. 

She finally came across something she knew would be perfect. A belt made from fade-touched halla skin. She had tooled the leather on her own with designs that were reminiscent of the curvature of a halla’s horns. She had gotten Harritt to craft a buckle from a bit dragon bone that was left over after he had created a new chest plate for Bull. She made it knowing she would give it to one of her companions, but until that moment, she hadn’t realized it was perfect for Cole. 

She turned around to see that he was still on her bed, but was not watching her with curiosity. She didn’t imagine she could follow her though process at that moment, so she walked over and spoke. 

“It was so sweet of you to think of everyone today. So here, for someone I care about, new belt for you.”

He took it from her hand and studied it carefully. She sat next to him again as he turned it over in his hands and looked at each carved indention on its surface. “It speaks to me. A piece of where I came from...a feeling of home.” He looked up into her eyes, for the second time today and she smiled. “Well I hope it reminds you that you have a home here as well.” She reached out and gently touched his knee. “Happy Palentines Day Cole.” 

He studied her, and she saw the tiniest lift in the corner of his mouth; as close to a smile as she had ever seen him come. He closed his eyes and nodded, and disappeared from under her touch. With a smile, she got up and went proceeded down the stairs, eager to share her overflowing love and happiness with a certain grumpy ex-Templar.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my canon Inquisitor and an addendum to a current unpublished WIP. A quick blurb based on a suggestion from a Twitter mutual. I hope they like it!
> 
> I do not own the rights to any characters/content created by and for BioWare.


End file.
